Café Julia Hawaii

Cafe Julia, you have my whole heart! We got married here a month ago. Elijah and the Cafe Julia team were an absolute pleasure to work with. Two years ago, we decided to check out the cafe to generally scope out the space. I think we were the only non-business folk visiting the cafe during business hours. But we had SUCH a great time. Our waitress was so lovely, she helped introduce us to someone on the team who could show us around since Elijah wasn’t there that day. We were honestly sold just based on the customer service we received that day. Meeting Elijah was just a formality at that point! Even after we decided to book, Elijah was gracious with his time - offering us recommendations and the chance to lock in rates before our wedding (although it was still a year and a half out - we were engaged for two!). Closer to the date, we revisited our menu selections and wanted to make it a little more interactive and fun for our guests. We asked if Elijah would allow us to shift to a live-action buffet, which seemed to be new on the 2025 menu. He was open to it and also allowed us to order a few side orders of vegetarian/Celiac disease-friendly meals for our dietary restricted friends and family which would not impact our selections for our main buffet (this was completely voluntary and incredibly gracious! Their staff also came to ask who specifically needed these meals, and I watched them hand deliver them to the guests directly which was so, so sweet and thoughtful!!) The food, by the way, was THE most raved about thing at our wedding. No regrets honestly on the live-action stations - the crispy pork belly baos and the prime rib carving stations were an absolute hit!! The staff ALSO brought out tapas-style plates of EVERYTHING on our menu to our sweetheart table (portions for the both of us!) Our table was impressively overflowing, and just when we thought they brought out everything, they came out with MORE food! I am beyondddd over the moon with their service and how well they executed everything from the ceremony set-up to the ceremony-to-dinner courtyard flip to making everything seemingly flawless. We had no rain on the weather forecast for the day, but I think my dad came and blessed us with his spiritual presence because right after we got married, it began sprinkling enough for us to notice and come outside.. Only for the clouds to part and a double rainbow to reveal itself! After dinner, we had another light sprinkle and Elijah and team rolled out a rack of gorgeous white umbrellas which they allowed guests to use until the drizzle passed. My friends thought we were well-prepared for the chance of rain, but little did they know that we hadn’t even considered it to be a chance. This was ALL Cafe Julia’s preparedness :) The space was PERFECT for our wedding - I can’t imagine having had it anywhere else. It was large enough to freely move about without feeling tight, but closed in enough that it felt like a small, intimate wedding (which was my dream - I was actually very worried about it feeling too big!). Elijah, Cafe Julia, the team: Thank you! I cried the majority of my wedding program, and now I’m crying reminiscing about what an absolute dream of a wedding this was. Thank you for celebrating us and for being a part of such a core memory. We WILL be back for years to come :) <3

We're so happy we picked Cafe Julia for our ceremony and reception venue! Elijah, the event manager, was so helpful from the moment we inquired about hosting our wedding here. We were looking for something different than a beach wedding or hotel banquet hall. Cafe Julia was exactly what we were looking for; a gem in downtown. Our budget didn't really allow for a wedding planner/coordinator so what drew us in to Cafe Julia was that 1) a coordinator wasn't required, and 2) Elijah assured us the staff are very helpful so one wouldn't be necessary. With a year to plan, along the way he made sure to check on our progress and sent reminders for due dates. On the day of, our banquet captain was so gracious to work with. He and the staff helped set up our reception tables with decorations we had brought ourselves. Our wedding party took cues from him when it came to navigating the venue and sticking to our timeline. The staff made sure that we ate dinner, packed leftover plates and our cake to take home, and provided guests umbrellas when it started to drizzle. We had a totally stress free experience getting married here! We came out feeling so lucky and will never stop singing praises for Cafe Julia.

Café Julia combines a chic stylish elegance with the friendly & casual local ambiance for patrons to experience a refined dining experience in a very relaxed atmosphere. Located across the street from the Iolani Palace, Café Julia is embedded in an historic building which has retained it’s old Hawaii architectural charm. The dishes we tried were the Salmon Ochazuke, Julia’s Chicken Caeser Salad, Seafood Risotto, Steak Sandwich with Garlic Fries, and the Chicken Katsu w/Thai Curry. The Salmon Ochazuke and Katsu Curry were the highlights of the meal. Good sized portions, authentic flavors and you can see and taste the careful attention the chefs have applied in preparing these dishes. While the food was mostly delicious, one honest feedback I’d provide to Café Julia is that you can always make a dish saltier but not the other way around. Perhaps it was just for this visit, but all of the dishes that we ordered tasted a bit too salty; such that all of us at the table ended up frequently emptying our water glasses. The table service was attentive, friendly and prompt. However, the reception staff/host may require further training because when we called with a simple request to see if it was possible to push our reservation by 15-20 minutes, we receive an unexpected haughty response of “What?? Fine. But you should know that the restaurant is filling up fast!” We quickly rushed over to find that 85% of the tables were empty and they remained empty for the entirety of our meal. It may not matter to some, but for this diner honesty and courtesy matters. Do better.

Cafe Julia was a dream venue for our wedding reception in Honolulu. Since this was a destination wedding, our entire planning process was done remotely and we did not see Cafe Julia until we arrived on Oahu the week of our wedding. While this probably sounds stressful, our experience working with Elijah made the planning process incredibly smooth, and the venue is as beautiful, if not more beautiful, than it appears in photos. While working with Elijah, he was responsive to all of our questions and provided us with a list of vendors who often work at Cafe Julia. We selected most of our vendors from that list and had great experiences working with them as well. On the actual day of the wedding, the team at Cafe Julia was wonderful. We highly recommend Cafe Julia; it was the perfect place for our wedding reception. 1 deleted message in this conversation. View message or delete forever.

We couldn't have asked for a better venue to have our destination wedding! Café Julia was perfect for our ceremony, cocktail hour and reception. The courtyard was gorgeous, shaded and spacious. Elijah was an absolute gem. The food was fantastic; we opted for the three entree buffet with cocktail hour appetizers and desserts. Our guests raved about the grilled meat, Korean short ribs and furikake market fresh fish. For the bar, we chose the $15.00 USD/guest corkage option. They also allowed us to bring a shaved ice vendor and cake in. Staff were great, saving us appetizers, serving dinner and packing leftovers. They gave us a gift (engraved wooden clock) to commemorate our special day; incredibly thoughtful and sweet. Highly recommend Elijah and his team!

Quaint location on the property of a YWCA. Food was average: certainly nothing wrong but not anything I had (or saw by the other guests in our party) that would make me want to go back. I have the Chinese Salad which was tasty but my particular serving was way over dressed ( this coming from someone who admittedly uses too much dressing ). Frankly, the cheeseburger looked like the best meal on the table.

Cafe Julia was truly the wedding venue of my dreams! The architecture is beautiful, it totally gives off tropical European vibes in my opinion. Photos don't do it justice. Elijah is a delight to work with, and he took a lot of stress out of the planning and day! There's so much you can customize here - uplighting colors, hanging elements, cocktails, etc. It really does make Cafe Julia a blank canvas for anything you can dream up. The food was SO ONO - our family and friends all commented on how good it was both during and after the wedding. All of the staff at Cafe Julia were so kind and so helpful <3 Special shoutout to Kelii, the catering manager/banquet captain, for going above and beyond the whole night.

My husband and I cannot recommend Café Julia enough. We had a lovely wedding there this past July. The venue is so beautiful and filled with greenery! We only needed some floral arrangements and small table decorations. The food was delicious... Our guests are still raving about our dinner selections. Elijah, the event manager, made everything super easy leading up to and the day of the wedding. Since we live in California, we coordinated everything via email.

This is a very very late review!!! To be honest, I'm behind on a lot of reviews - work and life have made it slightly difficult to keep up!!! BUT!!! This year I have made it a point to start up again :) Okay, back to my review. I honestly cannot say anything but praise to Elijah and his team. I set out to plan my entire wedding all by myself and in looking for a wedding venue in early March of 2022 (did I mention that we were getting married ON Halloween of 2023), I came about this place from a friend who had mentioned the lunch he had there. Kept raving about it. So I looked them up and couldn't believe they were in the YMCA this whole time!!! And I had been there when I was younger but never paid any mind to the BEAUTIFUL architecture there!!! It has that slight gothic feel ... I fell in LOVE with the place!! My husband and I made an appointment with the event coordinator Elijah and also decided to have lunch to try the food while we were there. The food was awesome!! I had the pork chop, it's the one dish my friend wouldn't stop talking about. My husband had the fish I believe ... We enjoyed our food very much and as soon as we were done Elijah met with us. He was super helpful and gave us a tour of the place and what everything entailed with the different packages. He told us that our day (which is Halloween) is available!! We ended up deciding on using the courtyard for the ceremony and reception and because we wanted something small and intimate with about 35-40 people there - it seemed like the perfect place to do it. We had the option of using the ballroom in the event that it rained. We put our deposit down signed the agreement. For the food we decided to go buffet style ... you know your girl lives for a good buffet!! And although I wish I could tell you how awesome the food was that night .... I barely touched it (sadness). Anyway ... weeks before our big day Elijah kept in constant touch with us to make sure any last details were correct or taken care of. We really didn't have anything difficult requests ... with the exception of having Gee Yung there with their lions :D They were really our only big request. Elijah let us do a couple walk throughs so we could see where we wanted things. Easy right? It sure seemed that way when I first started planning lol The day of ... let me tell you. I was a big bag of anxiety!!! I was having panic attacks!!! BUT when my girls and I got there ... I let out a sigh ... kinda. We had a dark gothic theme, black and red colors ... gave everyone the choice of dressing up in costume. And we had it decorated Halloween style ... lots of cobwebs, tombstones ... skulls ... you get it. And on one of the walls in lights were both of our names in a heart ... The staff there were incredible!!!! They were behind the scenes but you knew they were there taking care of everything - from the rose petals that my 'flower bears' threw on the ground to packing left over cake!! FOREVER grateful to them! Would I do it all over again? Bet your sweet ass I would ... now that I know how to plan it lol We even received a gift from Cafe Julia ... a beautiful clock with the date we got married and our names engraved into it. Beautiful keepsake. If you are looking for a venue please keep them in mind. Elijah is very professional and will accommodate if they can.

This delightful little cafe is part of the downtown YWCA building & has its own courtyard for weddings and other events. We got there just after opening (11:00am) so we had the whole place to ourselves for awhile. While we ordered, our server, Sami, inhaled and throughly enjoyed the essential oils my friend had brought out to show me. Our food was delicious‼ We both ordered the Quiche (spinach, mushroom & cheese), soup (tomato basil) & side salad combo and enjoyed every last bite. For desert we shared an ube ice cream & fresh mango sorbet which were both so ono‼ Haven't been to this place since the YWCA closed its exercise classes - including use of the pool, but I have to remember to support this great little establishment. It's a perfect location for folks working downtown, so keep that in mind.

My fiancé and I are getting married at cafe julia next year and since touring the venue, have made it a once Month lunch stop for yummy bites and good ambiance. Located in the historic YWCA in downtown, the European-inspired architecture takes you away from the normal Lego block building feeling of urban Honolulu. The cafe itself is accessible through a beautiful courtyard, and is covered but open air. The waitstaff here are always so kind and my grandfather loves it here because they're incredibly helpful but not too chatty. On this occasion we ordered the strawberry salad, green salad and grilled ahi, and corn chowder to share. Their portions are a good size and the food always tastes fresh and doesn't sit too heavy. Their menu also boasts a variety of sandwiches, local favorites and Japanese fusion inspired cuisine, like salmon ochazuke. They also have a full bar. We can't wait to continue to work with Elijah and the events staff here and will keep coming on our monthly visits to soak up the food and pre wedding bliss!!

Great customer service! Food was perfecto! Lobster bisque and salad. My veggie Thai curry was delicious with my non alcoholic mango mojito. Next time I gotta have some dessert. Ambiance is relaxing and romantic. Like a garden indoors beautiful setting for lunch or dinner with friends or family or a great place for lunch break from work. Prices are very reasonable for such a great place.

Cafe Julia at the YWCA Downtown Honolulu provided an outstanding dining experience. From the moment we arrived, the service was exceptional. We were greeted warmly, and our reservation was quickly found. Our table was ready upon arrival, and our pre-ordered food was served about 15 minutes later. Many in our group enjoyed salads, which were fresh and flavorful. The pasta dishes were delicious, and the seafood risotto was a standout with its rich flavor and generous portions of seafood. The entrees were so satisfying that we didn't have room for dessert. The restaurant's ambiance is nice and airy, with a noise level that's just right for conversation. Overall, Cafe Julia offers a great atmosphere and delicious food. We will definitely be returning.

If you are looking for a place to get married at, Cafe Julia is the place to be! Great location, beautiful property, delicious food, and most of all awesome staff! Special thanks to Elijah and Kelii & the whole staff. Words cant express how grateful we are! Again thank you so much, and God bless

Located in the historic YWCA building designed ny Julia Morgan, architect of the Hearst Castle, this semi open air cafe surrounded by greenery is a lovely place for a leisurely lunch in downtown Honolulu. It's a bit warm even though they have high ceilings and fans. Park at the meters on the Richard St side of Iolani Palace or in Ali'i Tower municipal lot. The menu offers a nice selection of lunch options including salads. I was a little disappointed with my $27 Lobster Roll which was premixed with mayo, onions, celery... it was improved when I squeezed a lemon on it. With a choice of fries or salad I chose to be healthy and was happy with the fresh greens and balsamic dressing on the side. My bro's Wagyu Kobe Beef burger was delicious though I would have preferred it less cooked. The accompanying fries were also good and plentiful. Mom loved her huge plate of Chinese Chicken Salad which came chucked full of goodies including soba noodles, zoodles (zucchini) and mandarin oranges. Definitely enough for 2-3 people. Service is friendly but sometimes hard to flag down.

A great surprise- recommendation from the tour guide at the Palace. Plus entrance fee to Palace tour gets you 15 percent off! Wonderful environment and delicious food.

We love taking our out of town guest to brunch here. Service is always great. Food is consistent. We love the menu options. My faves are salmon ochazuke, oriental chicken salad, ahi poke tacos and chocolate torte. This time, our guests selected the summer strawberry salad, pork lumping, and ahi sandwich to share. Salad was refreshing and everything else was tasty. Nearest public parking is in the Alii building next door. Rates were reasonable.

Wow ! Went here for a work event ! The ambiance is great, the service was remarkable , and best of all the food was fantastic! I got the chicken katsu with Thai curry and it was absolutely delicious! For dessert I got the bread pudding and oh my it was warm and just so so good ! My coworker let me try her martini glass cheesecake and that was amazing too. I devoured my bread pudding dessert ! I'm looking forward to going back ! pS. The chicken katsu was prolly one of the best ones I've had in Hawaii

It's been 3 weeks since I had my destination wedding at Cafe Julia and lemme just say that from our first conversation to our last, Elijah has been an amazing person to work with. He's awesome at communication and was patient and understanding when I had a ton of questions or changes. I also met his chef who was very friendly and everyone loved the food he and his team put out. Our servers and bartenders were also great and attentive. I would highly highly recommend having your event here. The space is beautiful with its own charm and at a very reasonable price compared to other venues near Waikiki.

The Poke Tacos are so Onolicious! Service & ambiance of the place is so neat! Great work lunches

Excellent menu choices. I had the lobster roll with fries. No disappointment. Service is top notch. I did not have any drink but the ones I saw looked spectacular and thirsty-quenching. At 12:30 they had run out of most of the desserts. Only one piece of Bread pudding and a few scoops of sorbet. I didn't need any dessert, so full from the lobster roll. Ambience is still nice even with the gates around. It still feels outdoorsey. Beautiful YWCA bldg.

Great service, good food! Had a pear salad and their salmon ochazuke. I had never had a ochazuke at a restaurant - only the instant powder packets - so I wanted to try it. It was delicious! I was watching carbs so it was a bit salty without all the rice, but I'd definitely come back for it.

Andrew and Jose were very knowledgeable about the food and made good suggestions. It's priced reasonably and has very good portions. Everything tasted so delicious! I had a hard time choosing what to eat because everything looked appetizing. I'm glad I tried Cafe Julia and will be back soon.

Such a lovely place for lunch. The architecture is beautiful. If you're seeing the palace or taking care of business and that into town and get hungry or just curious drop by and check it out

Delicious food, really nice environment, can't wait to come back. I had the seafood risotto and it was delicious! The service was a little bit slow but they were very busy during lunch time.

Beautiful space. So stunning. Cannot deny that this is a gem in downtown. One of the only nice looking spots in the area. I see why people have their weddings here. They have some really great things on the menu. I loved the miso salmon I had, and the arancini as well! Oh and their chocolate mousse--probably my favorite I've had in a long time. However something still feels lacking? Just a tad subpar? Unsure what. Maybe it's the other things I've had on the menu that I'm blanking on that just didn't really impress me. Also it's a lovely place but can still be a bit hot, and I'm no fan of the heat. Cafe Julia def has pros AND cons, but I won't deny I'll continue to go here as it can be quite convenient.

Lovely food and serene ambience. As others have said, the service is a little slow, but very pleasant so as not to impact the rating. Our server was super friendly and very affable. She seemed to really enjoy her job. Her makeup was also super cute and fun. We ordered the ahi sandwich and lobster roll. Despite getting eaten immediately, the ahi sandwich roll just got too soggy and fell apart very quickly. But everything else about it was yum. Just messy! The lobster roll was very generous and tasty. For my palate, I didn't enjoy all the celery in it, but that's a me thing. Ambience wise, as I said above it was very pleasant, but towards the end, they started setting up for a wedding (congrats to the couple), but it meant the leaf blower came out and was very busy. Can't wait to go back next time hubby has a weekday off work.

I am impressed with the venue, the staff & the food! First off, Mahalo to Keli'i & the staff @ Cafe Julia! They were all so accommodating, friendly & professional. They helped make this an extra special night. The food was exceptional! What a wonderful assortment of pupus. I was actually a little worried when my daughter submitted her menu that there wouldn't be enough food, but there was more than enough and everything was beautifully displayed & delicious!

To start, let's talk about the ambiance. It's insanely peaceful and breezy and clean! You forget you're downtown Honolulu which is a nice escape. I had the salmon Furikake with veggies and rice-absolutely delicious! It melts in your mouth and is so creamy and butter but the veggies compliment it perfectly with hints or sweet and sours. The staff were very helpful with my 2 year old and made her grilled cheese and French fries! Thanks for going the extra mile to accommodate a picky eater! Most definitely will be frequenting this cafe!

Did a Uber eats service for this order. I ordered the Seafood Risotto. It was amazing! Flavorful and still in perfect heat when it arrived to me. Highly recommend for delivery. Portion was just enough to not make you feel uncomfortably over stuffed.

My husband and I just had our wedding at Cafe Julia and it was absolutely perfect! We fell in love with the beautiful venue and it fit the vibe we wanted for our wedding perfectly especially since we wanted something more intimate. A huge plus was working with Elijah! He was so responsive and helpful from the moment we booked our date over a year out to the month of our wedding. He made sure every detail from the lights, layouts, logo etc were exactly what we wanted. I also have to give a shout-out to the amazing staff. On our wedding day, they were so attentive to our guests and made sure they were taken care of. Another great perk about having your wedding here is the catering is included. They have an expansive menu and our food that night was delicious! Our guests couldn't stop talking about the pupus, entrees, and dessert! Definitely recommend this venue for weddings and other events. Thank you again Elijah and Team for everything!

WOW! What a quaint and lovely hidden gem! Located inside the YWCA designed by the one and only Julia Morgan! The food is super Ono! Upscale versions of local favorites. The ambience is so wonderful. Perfect for a lunch date or business lunch break! Must visit and try!

The ambience here is really lovely. It's in an outdoor patio that has great vibes. We came here for lunch and I had a Greek salad with salmon. It was so yummy! The service is really good too. Perfect for a fresh, lovely lunch!

Beautiful place but I've tried THREE times to go to lunch after the Royal Hawaiian Band concert across the street and they repeatedly were closing early for an upcoming wedding!

My daughters wedding there in June was so beautiful. The manager was very accommodating and helpful. The ambiance is so relaxing and comfortable. The food was excellent!

Came here because this restaurant was featured in the new Hawaii Five O show (first season). I just finished a tour at Iolani Palace and realized Cafe Julia was just down the street. It's full of tropical plants and a unique building design that reminded me of being in the French Quarter in New Orleans. I had to order the Lobster Roll and Garlic Furikake fries from the pics in Yelp, it looked divine. Furikake is a Japanese seasoning with herbs and sesame seeds. Don't be afraid of it, it's delicious and you'll be buying it at Long's or Foodland to take home with you. I loved everything and by the time the waitress came over (not long) to ask if everything was fine the roll was gone! She asked what happened? I was starving having only yoghurt for breakfast and it was now late afternoon. Still had my fries to finish that I love to dip in ranch dressing which they happily provided. Good service, great food and quiet, tropical venue PS If your into history and love Hawaii enjoy the Palace tour also (you are right there). Be sure to make a Rez online cuz they don't allow walk ups.

Talk about hidden gems. I have heard about this place, but didn't pay much attention because I was never really sure where it was. Just by chance, the family had finished going on a tour of Iolani Palace and were hungry for lunch. Well there it was, right across the street in the YWCA building on Richards. Of course, to was the stanchion signs that caught our attention in front of the Y's entrance. The building is a cool historic building that has a court yard that the restaurant shares for outdoor seating, but they do have a main dinning room and bar area. Lots of great natural lighting from window that almost hit the tall ceiling. Felt like something you'd find in a historic Latin city somewhere else in the world. Menu offers an assortment of full plate dishes, to sandwiches and salads. It's not vast, but there is a good assortment to fit anyone's tastebuds or appetite. It isn't a cheap eat type of place, but prices are not bad for the quality and type of dishes being offered as well as the nicer setting. Of course, we had great service as well. I had the garlic ahi sandwich that had a nice sized fish filet that was perfectly cooked and plated. The Salmon Ochazuke was also ordered and it was beautifully plated presentation that words just can't describe. Also, a Chinese Chicken Salad which was of fairly large proportions, but nothing unique by design. The place is located on the edge of the downtown professional business district, so I can imaging that it can get very busy. It was a late lunch for us being after 1pm, so it was calm and there were lots of seating options. It would probably be best to get their early or after the lunch time rush hour to be able to fully enjoy your meal there.

Came here with my daughter before she left for college. I hadn't been here in years and forgot how good it was. I ordered the vegetable sandwich, containing, among other things, portobello mushrooms, roasted red peppers, and zucchini on a baguette. It came with fries and I asked for garlic furikake fries for $1.50 extra. The sandwich was filling and absolutely delicious. The fries were also great, but honestly too much for me; next time I'll probably order a salad on the side instead. The open air atmosphere was pleasant and the service was friendly and efficient. Come back again? Most definitely!

I've always wanted to eat here but was always unsure when I'd get the opportunity to, but I got the chance with some of my coworkers. You can find Café Julia in the courtyard of YWCA Laniākea; it offers al fresco dining and indoor dining. If you grab lunch here on a weekday, you're likely to rub elbows with some business hotshots every now and then as it's a nice reprieve from the hustle and bustle of downtown. When we sat down, I felt that the ambience was pleasant and relaxing, and the staff were kind and friendly. We got Garlic Furikake French Fries and Crispy Furikake Risotto, and I ordered the Seafood Risotto. The food was great! My risotto was creamy and the seafood was cooked well. We also thoroughly enjoyed our appetizers. We finished with their Homestyle Bread Pudding which was a comforting high note. I would love to come back and sample their dinner menu!

For weddings: Elijah was super helpful! He had the BEST communication and was willing to answer our hundred-and-one questions. He was so welcoming and you can tell how passionate he was about serving people! The venue is so beautiful and has so many great places for photos. The pricing is great with a plethora of things included in it. This is hands down one of the best options and team you could go for!

I was invited to Cafe Julia for a bridal shower on Sunday. For private events they must host a lot on the weekends so the location is actually closed online. Parking-on Richards street the metered parking is free on Sunday. Got a nice spot across the YWCA. If nothing there, try the post office further down past king street. Location-if you are at the front of the YWCA looking towards the building, on the left side there is a side road with an automated parking arm. Go down that side road and half way down there is a sign to a courtyard entrance of cafe julia and the YWCA. Upon entering go to the left where you will see gated fences and a door with Cafe Julia above. Space-relative large. During COVID, the three tables seating 10 people were able to be 6 feet apart. Seating space wasn't as cramped. And the open air was nice for allowing larger groups to gather but it was hot. Especially for the time frame of the bridal shower 10-12. There were fans but since the ceiling is a good 15-20 feet high they don't move much air close to the ground. Food-a buffet was set out with a few items. Caesar salad was good like Costco. White rice good. Chicken, thighs and no flavor at all even though it looked coated in sauce. White fish I didn't get but I heard it was good. Three different types of flatbread pizza served under a carving station warmer. Overdone to the point where is was tough and hard to cut through. Dessert was bread pudding. COVID-open air, lists of hand sanitizer, waiters wore gloves and masks, they also served the food so you didn't have to touch anything. Overall- 3 stars for venue being acceptable during COVID restrictions, parking was good not excellent, and taste of food was something to be desired.

Great food here at Cafe Julia! It's been awhile since I last visited. Better come check it out now while they are less busy right now. Walked in with no reservation. Lucky me. Gonna have my bread pudding and ice creams right now

a cute restaurant located in the YWCA in downtown, this place is perfect for a nice lunch during the weekdays. we were seated immediately for a party of 2 and had a great, friendly auntie serving us. we got the furikake fries, ahi poke tacos, and crisp furikake risotto balls. the fries were soooo good, they were very generous with the furikake and they stayed hot and crispy. the poke tacos were balanced well with the fish, cabbage, and taco shell ratio, but personally I wouldn't prefer to eat poke like this. I appreciate the texture of the ahi more when I don't have to crunch through the shell. the risotto balls were so unique! they came with a little cup of dipping sauce that pairs well with the balls. they're super crunchy on the outside and very soft like actual risotto on the inside. this place is a little pricey, so be prepared to spend more than average for lunch. but the menu has lots of variety and unique dishes so it's worth a try!

My husband and I had our reception at Cafe Julie back in January and all I can say is WOW. Everyone went above and beyond for us every meeting and encounter we had with the coordinator and staff. We had a destination wedding and we wanted to make sure all the basic amenities were included in the venue. We met with the coordinator, Elijah and he not only eased my stress but really took into account what my husband and I needed and wanted for our special day. We had flown back to Hawaii a couple times to meet with Elijah and each time he was so informative and accommodating. To be honest, we had seen many venues prior to Cafe Julia but the reason I chose this venue was because of Elijah. He was very straight forward and really paid attention to what my husband And I wanted for our wedding. Leading up to the day, we needed to drop off decorations and other items for the reception and the staff were so friendly, professional and accommodated our drop off schedule. The day of was absolutely perfect. The cocktail area was gorgeous and they had the bar And appetizers set up soo nicely. The venue was beautiful, clean and well lit as we went on through the night. With the venue, a photo backdrop is Unnecessary. The venue is soo stunning that you can take nice photos anywhere. Every one of our guest would not stop raving about the food!! The food was INCREDIBLE! Our guest are still talking about the food to this day. Through out the night the staff took such care of my husband and I, especially Ms. Annie who waited on us the whole night. The staff and Elijah always checked on us, seeing if we needed drinks, they served us our dinner, and took care of pushing in my chair anytime I sat down throughout the night because I was struggling with my dress After the wedding, somethings got left behind. We called then venue to see if we could retrieve them and not only did they keep the items safe but they cleaned them for us when we went to pick them up. The entire Cafe Julia staff made our night so incredibly special! They are forever imbedded in my heart because they truly made our marriage such a wonderful celebration and I am so grateful for them. I think this is the best place to get married in Hawaii. I HIGHLY ABOVE AND BEYOND RECOMMEND CAFE JULIA

Clean place with good food and friendly staff although the burger was nothing special. They also have several desserts which were a hit so save room!

The rating is more for the server and atmosphere which were both elegant and warm. I tried their rendition of Salmon Ochazuke which included microgreens, pink pickled radish, fish roe and furikake with a side of green tea to pour on top. The rich panoply of flavors included a tanginess with the pickles, a savory note with the fish roe and furikake and an earthy note with the green tea "broth". They all complemented the richness of the salmon but unfortunately not to my taste. Definitely a very local and Asian Pacific Rim version of Salmon Ochazuke which for me is a comforting dish better savored in it's delicateness. But the server was the epitome of a warm Polynesian Aunty who's voice felt like a hug so more stars for her and surroundings than the odd mix of flavors. Come for the experience.

We had our wedding here. Elijah is incredible!! Very highly recommend this wonderful place. They take care of you here and help to make your day special. Food is delicious! The venue is classy and Romantic and the ambience is beautiful wonderful memories here and I'm so greatful for Elijah the coordinator for the venue. He really does make sure things come together and we couldn't be more grateful

I fell in love with Café Julia the moment we walked in to tour the place. We were looking for the perfect venue to hold our wedding and reception and this was it. No second thoughts. Kelii (event manager) was very easy to communicate with and super fast to respond whenever I e-mailed him. Kelii and the rest of Cafe Julia staff helped us from beginning to the end of our event. The food served at our wedding was amazing. I mean, I'm not saying that because it was our wedding. It really was good. We had also eaten here for two other events and they had other options other than what we chose for our wedding. One of the other events we attended here, they served duck bao buns and it was really tasty. It wasn't salty or bland at all. We got prime rib served at our wedding and it was very tasty. It was soft, didn't feel like I was chewing on gum or rubber, and they served a decent size portion to everyone. If I'm not mistaken, the courtyard can accommodate up to 150 guest, but if you need a bigger space for an event, they also have Fuller Hall (I think that's what it's called) towards the back of the building. What I really like about Cafe Julia when we first decided to hold our wedding there was that the rental fee for the place already included tables, chairs, the plain white linens, and the mic and speaker at no extra costs. I mean come on.... Not all places will give you that kind of a deal. Finding parking here is fairly easy. You have two options, street parking (if you're lucky enough to find a spot) or parking at Ali'i Place, which is literally the building right next to Cafe Julia. It cost $3 to park there no validation required. I just wished they were open on weekends instead of just the weekdays. I definitely will be back here again. Hopefully soon, but if not maybe in 10 -20 years when my husband and I renew our vows. Haha. The atmosphere and just everything in general about this place was amazing.

Very beautiful restaurant in a courtyard, lots of plants, very cute for date night or girls lunch. Definitely pricey tho - the food was good but for the price it was super simple and small portions. I would go again but mostly just for the ambiance

Cafe Julia was above and beyond anything we could have dreamt. The team and the venue were astounding. Due to the ever-changing nature of weather in Hawaii, we really appreciated having access to multiple venue spaces if we needed them. This also allowed us to make use of the interior of the restaurant for a beautiful cocktail hour. During dinner and cocktail hour, there was excellent food and drink service, staffed by people who really seemed to care that we had the best time possible. Everyone was very easy to work with and super communicative. They thought of and took care of every detail. Elijah was extremely supportive and helpful, as we planned the entire event from over 2,000 miles away without ever seeing the venue in person. Cafe Julia brought our dreams to reality and we couldn't be happier to have chosen them for our wedding.

A very enjoyable lunch. We came to celebrate 2 special birthdays. The ambiance, service, and food made a so special. The waitress was kind and efficient. The waiter staffs were really friendly and one, Andrew, was exemplary. He displayed the aloha spirit, as he made sure our Kupuna of our group could exit the side gate to avoid the struggles of stairs. He even called back as I forget a gift that someone glad me. I would definitely come back here to try the different entrees. The lobster roll was overflowing with chucks of lobster. The salmon was perfectly prepared. It was easy to get an online reservation. It was an beautiful setting; the harmony of indoor, with an outdoor feel.

Hidden gem! I love visiting Cafe Julia when I'm in town. The food is delicious, the staff is wonderful and the atmosphere lovely.

This is a beautiful place to host an event. You may fit a large amount of people or small group of 25 people. Its best to choose evening (beautiful evening lights/not sunny) vs. day time (hot/humid but beautiful sunshine) Parking is available on the street (see signs for restriction) or Alii parking on Alakea or if your taking the bus the bus stop is nearby. The food is delicious, you may bring your own desserts if you'd like (see manager for details). You have a lot of space to decorate the area. Restroom is located on the first floor near the entrance area.

Let me start by saying... PARKING IS LIMITED. Cafe Julia is not open for dinner every day- but rather- every OTHER day. It is locally owned and operated. The atmosphere at night is like a hidden-in-the-back-of-an-alley in Rome type of feel... Stringy lights and live music are the focal points of this fabulous locale. Beau and I visited this place on two occasions-- the first while checking out the place as a possible venue for our WEDDING!!! (Yes, ladies and gents-- he bought the cow!!)... The second time we came, we went for dinner to get an idea about the catering/food situation FOR the wedding... Aaaaand to see what it looked like at night. The lights and arches at night do not disappoint. The rental fee for the venue is $1k on a week day and $3k on the weekend. I like the weekday price, don't you?! In those prices, the lights, locale, chivari chairs, set up and break down from ceremony to reception is included. The linens, dinnerware and silverware, also. Very convenient if you don't want your family members and friends on your special day moving chairs and tables! However, you have to cater through them. Which is why beau and I tried dinner here-- to see what we liked. As for me, the cheesy garlic bread was the best thing ever. Nothing else stuck with me to be honest. The presentation and entertainment were great but as for our wedding, beau and I went with another venue.

I love this place! The atmosphere is amazing, in the women's YWCA. It feels like you're outside in a tropical paradise, and it is open air. Service is amazing, and the menu changes often. I feel pampered when I go there, and will be back!

It's the second time at Cafe Julia. The cuisine is fresh and different from most of restaurants downtown. It's a quiet spot in the middle of everything. The lunch items are a bit on the expensive side. The wait staff told our table the lunch special very fast. Couldn't understand them. The Julia Caesar Salad was good but the bread on the side was bland.

We had our wedding reception at Cafe Julia and it was amazing!!! The atmosphere, the venue, the bar, the old architecture, and the food were all top notch. I imagine that it's a wonderful place to have your ceremony as well. The food and staff had all of our guests talking about how great this place was. It's affordable. You get this beautiful urban Honolulu experience at a great price. A building designed by renowned architect Julia Morgan, an outdoor wedding, and a space that feels expansive and intimate at the same time. Hard to find anywhere else. Mix that with some uplighting, flood lights by the pool, and loud music, you've got a great party. A lot of venues have a decibel ordinance but because we were downtown on Saturday, it's a ghost town, we were able to play the music LOUD. Also it's BYOB, so some big Costco runs makes this a very affordable execution. Then you can return whatever isn't opened. Elijah and his staff are very considerate of this and aim to give you back as much as possible. I'd say the single greatest facet of this venue is the manager, Elijah. Wedding planning is stressful, tedious, and hard. Elijah made all those worries go away with his flexibility, willingness to help, cadence of communication, and always going above and beyond. Not all vendors are created equal. This is important when considering the money you'll be spending. If you're thinking about having your wedding here it's an easy YES. Our day was perfect. Elijah and the Cafe Julia staff, thank you again so much!